Sotomayor: 'I'm Very Optimistic About The Power of Minorities...'

"[W]e’re going to have to work the political system at the highest level.”

On Monday, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor stated that she believed that women and minorities had to crash the halls of power in order to “change the dialogue in this country.” She said that “money” was the obstacle to women and minorities having a say in government, adding, “we’re going to have to work the political system at the highest level.”

Sotomayor was speaking at the University of Washington, pushing her book, My Beloved Life. A student questioned if she was optimistic about the future of the country. She stated, “I’m very optimistic about the power of minorities to change the dialogue in this country.”

Before 1,200 students, Sotomayor also characterized the Supreme Court as “the most moral institution” in government. “The work you do the best is the work you love,” she explained. “The greatest contribution you can make is figuring out what you think is important to you, what kind of work will satisfy you, what kind of work will make you feel meaningful, what kind of work will make a contribution to improving something that you think is significant.”

Sotomayor then wandered into the crowd, where students took selfies with her.

Sotomayor has routinely stated in speeches over the past 20 years, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion."